Sri Lanka vice-captain Kumar Sangakkara said it was vital his side kept faith with the style of cricket that won them the 1996 World Cup if they were to lift the trophy for a second time.

Sanath Jayasuriya, still a key member of the side and Romesh Kaluwitharana, Sangakkara's predecessor as Sri Lanka wicket-keeper, formed a dynamic opening partnership that exploited the fielding restrictions then in place for the first 15 overs and revolutionised the way totals were compiled.

No longer was the key to building a big score keeping wickets in hand and waiting for the last 10 overs before going on the offensive.

Jayasuriya and Kaluwitharana turned everything upside down by attacking the opposition's fastest bowlers right from the off and Sri Lanka ended up beating Australia by seven wickets in the final in Lahore.

It's a tactic that still works. Last year Jayasuriya and current opening partner Upul Tharanga shared a world record first-wicket one-day international stand of 286 against England at Headingley.

Sri Lanka, third in the Super Eights, take on table-toppers New Zealand in a second round match at the Grenada National Stadium here Thursday that will go some way to assessing both teams' worthiness as serious challengers to champions Australia, bidding for an unprecedented third straight title.

"Most of the the times we've gone wrong we've tried to change the game," said Sangakkara.

"We want to compete with the Sri Lankan brand of cricket.

"Sanath and Kalu went about going after the bowlers in the first 15 overs and now we have five more (overs of fielding restrictions).

"Even though bowlers are forming strategies to contain batsmen in the powerplays, I still feel ours is the way to go, not aggressively but positively."

A more recent development in the one-day game has been for wicket-keepers to stand up to all but the very fastest bowlers in a bid to stop batsmen advancing down the pitch without fear of being stumped.

"I think there's no option," said Sangakkara, who demonstrates skills many thought were going out of the modern game when standing up to left-arm seamer Chaminda Vaas.

"Wickets are getting better. If a bowler is below 140 kph, batsmen are taking it upon themselves to walk down and make the bowler change their plans.

"But as long as you can hold your skills, it's all right," said Sangakkara, who added New Zealand's Brendon McCullum had been one of the world's leading keepers in the last few years.

Sri Lanka are set to be without strike fast bowler Lasith Malinga, who tops the World Cup bowling averages, because of an ankle injury.

But in the nailbiting two-run win over England in Antigua last week it was another quick, Dilhara Fernando, who played a decisive role when clean bowling Ravi Bopara off the last ball.

And Sangakkara said the likes of Farveez Maharoof and Nuwan Kulasekara, both vying to replace Malinga, could make an impact too.

"We have a squad of five fast bowlers and it's up to each of them to step up when the opportunity presents itself."